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Sunday, 22 February 2009

Review - Save Your Breath - Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy

Cracking in at just 15:49 this 6 track EP from Newport's (South Wales) Save Your Breath is an enthralling swoop of pop-hardcore (mosh-pop, or whatever we're deciding to call it now!) that takes influence from the likes of Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, New Found Glory and Crime in Stereo without ever sounding derivative.

Off the back of their split with Fireworks that was released through Zone Records and gave us the marvellous tongue-in-cheek title that is "Bin Laden Saw Your Slogan Shirt And Now He's Got A Rap Career" the band have been steadily building a name for themselves with numerous tours and have now succeeded in getting an American release for this EP on Adeline Records (Green Day's Billie Joel's label). Produced by Romesh Dodangoda (Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout, Fightstar) "Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy" sounds brilliant, the guitars cut through the music with ease yet never sound too prominent when they should be part of the larger ensemble, the vocals sound typically British and sit nicely above the frantic pummelling melody beneath, with the drums and bass nicely cascading at a solid pace throughout all 6 tracks on offer.

There might be an influx of pop-punk meets hardcore bands in the past year or so, but the ones that stick out of the pack are the ones doing it well or doing it slightly differently and fortunately Save Your Breath are one such band. The oddly titled "Rhys-O And The Legend Of Big Phone" that features another home-grown rising star on guest vocals in the form of Aled Phillips of Kids In Glass Houses is probably the poppiest effort off the EP and the most likely to be single-worthy and propel Save Your Breath into the limelight they are ever-increasingly deserving of. That's not to say the other tracks don't have their own merit or lack of a hook themselves, "Holy Shit! Fortune Teller Miracle Fish!" has some Blink 182-esque guitar licks combined with some simple but destructively effective drumming that mesh together to make gang-vocals and breakdowns never seem out of place amongst the more poppy moments.

Many people will tell you that "X band are ones to watch out for in 2009" and I suppose they might be right, but believe me when I tell you that these lads from Newport deserve more attention as I think they could put out a stellar album given the chance. Snap up this EP whilst you can as their split with Fireworks is already sold out (Luckily I have it myself and it's bloody ace too!).

Listen: www.myspace.com/saveyourbreathband

Tracklist:1. xRYx Almost Died At A Foam Party 2. Holy Shit! Fortune Teller Miracle Fish! 3. Not In The Mood For Kiwi 4. I Am The Ticket 5. You’ve Got Lizard Blood! 6. Rhys-O And The Legend Of Big Phone (feat. Aled Phillips)